The Chapel Perilous
by northwestduchess
Summary: Emma Swan is caught by a town trapped between reality and myth. But this heroine can see truth, written between words and fears and weakness. She knows every shade of grey that makes up the human heart. What kind of story will be wrought by her spirit? AU


The Chapel Perilous

Emma Swan has been absorbed into a town caught between reality and myth. But this heroine can see the truth, written between words and fears and weakness. She knows every shade of grey that makes up the human heart. What kind of story will be wrought by her spirit?

Author's Note- I do not own anything, I am but a poor college student.

This story is essentially my rewrite of Once Upon a Time, going a little further with the concept of Emma as a mature adult who has seen the underbelly of the world and who has a special gift for perceiving the truth. I also wanted to explore some of the potential nuances of the relationship between Emma and Regina that haven't turned up in the show. I hope you enjoy the story! 

* * *

><p>Prologue - Exordium<p>

An older man relaxes in a plush armchair, book laid open in his lap. He is reading a story to a young girl, maybe eight or nine years old.

The story is nothing out of the ordinary, but the girl is held spellbound.

A terrible monster has beset the kingdom of a cowardly man. He has bargained with the monster with all of his material possessions, but nothing has placated it. The only thing he has left is his daughter, a beautiful princess. He announces to his kingdom that she will be sacrificed to it unless the monster can be killed before the end of the year.

All the kingdom despairs, until a visiting prince catches sight of the king's daughter. He falls deeply in love with her, and goes out with his soldiers to destroy the monster. After a long, difficult battle he fatally wounds the creature and returns victorious to the princess. Upon his return, the prince and the princess are married and they live happily ever after.

The girl claps with delight. Her father chuckles, and asks if she would like him to read another story.

But the girl stills, and her mouth purses intently. "Father, how do you get a happy ending? Like the one in the story."

The father laughs again, and taps his chin thoughtfully. "Well, you must make a Prince fall in love with you."

"But that isn't fair. There aren't very many princes, are there?" the girl asks, slightly petulant.

"No. That's why you have to be one of the lucky ones."

Sitting on the carpet, the girl crosses her arms over her chest and huffs. "But what do you have to do to be special enough?"

"Well, you must be beautiful, and demure, and elegant." His voice trails off, and he scratches the back of his head. But his daughter still looks at him intently.

"And what happens if the prince rejects you? What if you aren't chosen?"

The father stands abruptly and looks away. After a moment he crouches down and, running his hand through her dark hair, placates his daughter as best he can. "You don't need to worry about that, you are the prettiest girl in all the land."

But he knows the truth.

A girl who cannot become a princess is doomed to become a witch.

~~~~)\~/(~~~~

_Come away, O human child!  
>To the waters and the wild<br>With a faery, hand in hand,  
>For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.<em>

William Butler Yeats – "The Stolen Child"

~~~~)\~/(~~~~ 

At the Woodlea Group Home:

"Emma, talk to me. Why did you run away?"

"…"

"We want you to be happy here, sweetie. What was wrong?"

"I'm fourteen, I'm not your sweetie."

"Were you looking for your parents again? I promise that someday soon a family will come along that has a place, just for you."

"Don't say things like that."

"I know it's hard for you right now, but you'll see. There's a family for you out there."

"That's just a stupid dream, and I'm not a child anymore." 

* * *

><p>Alright! To give credit where it's due, the first section is heavily influenced by the fairytale introspection that happens in the show "Revolutionary Girl Utena", especially the last line.<p>

The quote in the section break is from the poem "The Stolen Child" by William Butler Yeats.

I'm really writing this to puzzle over some of the more interesting concepts from the show, so anyone who would like to have a good discussion is more than welcome to drop me a PM or leave me a note in a review. I'd love to hear any thoughts/feedback!


End file.
